It makes me sick!

Well my little buddy has been sick for 3 months now and tomorrow it will hopefully be all better.

Austin has had ear infection after ear infection since he was 9 months old and he will be turning 11 months. We just got back from the surgical center where we scheduled his appointment to get tubes in his ears. We met with Dr. Rodgers today and he said he could do the procedure tomorrow morning. I just hope this will give my little man some comfort finally and free of ear infections.

I just wish we could have gotten this cleared up sooner. I hope I don't offend anyone who might have family or friends who work in the medical field here in Blackfoot. But I am so sick and tired of the run around I have been getting! I don't want to go out of town for a doctor but after these past few months I feel like I am being forced to. I know so many people that go out of town for their doctor needs. I always that it was kind of a waste to drive out of town for a doctor. But now I can see why people do.

The first of last year I started seeing a doctor for my personal medical reasons. I met with this doctor and I was impressed, I thought he was very nice and spent time explaining my condition and the medication and all that good stuff. He even made a house call to check on me. I thought he was wonderful and I felt I had finally found a doctor I could go to for everything. Well than I got pregnant and when I had to start doing the monthly checkups my opinion went down hill. He never seemed to have time for my questions and worries (as a first time mother I had no clue what to expect). When it came close to my due date he wanted to induce me almost 2 weeks before my due date....I didn't know I had an option to try and go naturally until I talked to a friend and she told me it would be long and miserable if I let him start me (I’m glad I listened to her because I was only in labor for about 3 hours at the hospital before Austin came). And during my labor the doctor didn't say anything to me, infact he watched TV in between me pushing. I’m glad I had a good nurse there to talk me through everything. When my doctor came to check up on me the next day he sat down and started watching TV, I don't think he looked at me once. His bedside manner was horrible! Needless to say after my 6 week check up I never went back....and here I am trying to find a new doctor....AGAIN!

As for Austin's doctor he came highly recommended. I met him in the hospital when Austin was born and I was impressed. And when we went in for his first couple of checkup, again I was very happy. He is a wonderful doctor, very considerate, and spent a lot of time explaining things. Things were just fine until Austin started having ear infections. I could never seem to get into the doctor, he was either busy or not there. Austin was suppose to see him for his 9 month checkup and when we went in for it they told me he was not available, I even had an appointment. So Austin has been having all these problems and his doctor hasn't seen him once....wait let me correct that. He saw him once when we ran him in one night when his lips turned blue. In the past 2 months Austin has seen 4 doctors for his ear infections. And finally yesterday when he got to see his real doctor he said we should look into getting tubes in his ears.

Well to make a long story short he is scheduled to go in tomorrow morning at 6:45 for the procedure. It's only going to cost about $2000. My kid is worth it, but what makes me mad is if he would of seen his doctor for all of the infections he would of know what was going on and we could have gotten the procedure done a few weeks ago (which would have been on last years insurance clam) when we had already met the deductible. But no we will be paying for all of the cost because it's a new year and our deductible starts over. I’m not to happy about that one!!!

It's just very frustrating to take your baby in to someone new every time and have to explain everything to them every time! And not feel like you are getting anywhere with anyone!

Another reason I am sick is because I was sick for over a week and I went into the clinic to get checked on...once again our doctor wasn't in and so I had to go with whoever was available. And I went in and she said, "You’ll have to come back in 3-4 days I’m not sure if it's a sinus infection or not. Before hand I told her I am sure it's a sinus infection....I get one every year (never fails). She wouldn't give me any medicine. (Keep in mind our insurance coverage makes us pay $30 every time we even step into a doctor’s office) So I waited 6 days I it was heck. I went in and that lady doctor I saw before wasn't in so I so someone else. What do you know, $80 later I finally get someone to say it's a sinus infection.

Insurance makes me sick! But I am afraid not to have it! I think we have spend $300 or more in co-payments in the past 2 months....none of that goes toward our deductible. And all of the antibiotics we have had to get for all the infections. Heck I had a kid and with my bills and Austin's bills and visits to the doctor, we still didn't meet our deductible for the year 2008. It's amazing what insurance gets out of and what they claim as unnecessary procedures.

Anyways I'll stop complaining now. I just thought I'd share my disappointment in the practices around Blackfoot. Maybe I am just at the wrong spots. I’m not complaining about Austin's doctor, I really do like him. I am just upset I can never get into him!!! It's like we don't even have a family doctor!

And I am still looking for a gyno for myself. I really want to stay in town, I hate driving out of town when it's not necessary (which maybe it will have to become). Does anyone recommend anyone here in town for me?

Again I hope I have not offended anyone. I just needed to vent a little.